


Conundrums and Closets

by shnuffeluv



Series: Danger Gays: The Extras [8]
Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Background Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Character Forced Back Into the Closet, Closeted Character, Gender Dysphoria, Genderfluid Sleep | Remy Sanders, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24709363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/shnuffeluv
Summary: Remy doesn't know what to do now that Roman is here. He wants to be the cool dad, but he knows that cool dads don't wear blouses, and theydefinitelydon't own stuffed animals.
Relationships: Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders
Series: Danger Gays: The Extras [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1462492
Comments: 21
Kudos: 65





	Conundrums and Closets

Remy stared in consternation at Bones on the bed, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his knees. Roman had gone to bed about half an hour ago, and ten minutes later Emile had declared he was going to do some cleaning around the house.

Footsteps approached the bedroom door and Remy’s head swivelled around, relieved to see Emile and not the kid in the doorway. “Emile!” Remy declared. “I have a conundrum for you.”

“Does it have to be immediately after I clean everything up and make Roman able to go into the kitchen without being lost as to where everything is?” Emile asked.

“It can’t be when Roman’s in the room, at the very least,” Remy said. “You know how you promised forever ago you wouldn’t judge me for whatever I wore, and what I did, and things like having Bones around or wearing blouses were okay?”

“...Yes?” Emile asked.

“Roman hasn’t made that promise,” Remy said. “Roman is a middle schooler, and kids that age are especially cruel. If I want to be the cool dad, then I can’t wear blouses, and I  _ definitely _ can’t have Bones sitting out in the open.”

“But Bones is important to you. So are the blouses,” Emile said.

“Exactly,” Remy said. “And I don’t know which I want more: to be the cool dad, or to be comfortable in my own skin on days where my skin feels wrong.”

Emile shrugged. “I can’t make that choice for you, Rem.”

“I know,” Remy huffed. “But just this once, I wish you would.”

“What do you want, Remy?” Emile asked.

“I want to be both,” Remy sighed, running his hands through his hair. “But I can’t  _ have _ both!”

“Are you sure?” Emile asked. “We could ask Roman tomorrow morning—”

“—No!” Remy stood abruptly, the thought of asking a child what they thought of his deepest, darkest secrets too terrifying to face. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Rem, I really don’t think that Roman would mock you—”

“But neither of us know him well enough to say for  _ sure, _ Emile!” Remy hissed. “And until that day comes, I think it’s best if I play the part of being a guy. Whether or not that’s who I am.”

Emile looked stricken. “Remy, I’ve seen you try that for years, and I’ve seen the damage it’s done. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Remy shook his head, taking Bones and putting him in the top of the closet. “Relax, Emile. I won’t throw anything out, at least not yet. Not while we don’t know how Roman will react. But...let’s just introduce him to it slowly,” Remy said. “Once I feel comfortable.”

“Rem. I know you. And it could take years before you feel comfortable with that.”

“Then give me those years,” Remy said. “I never got up the nerve to buy a dress and that hasn’t given me a breakdown yet. I’m still fine. But I don’t want to put myself out there like this. Not yet. Give me that.”

Emile took a breath. “Fine, I’ll give you that. But I most certainly won’t be happy about it. And if Roman finds the blouses or Bones, we don’t have to say they’re yours, but we have to say they’re  _ someone’s, _ we can’t just say we don’t know what he’s talking about, got it?”

“Yeah,” Remy sighed. “I don’t like it, but I get it.”

Emile sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Great. Now, I’m exhausted, and we have a long day of parenting ahead of us tomorrow, so do you mind if I hit the sack?”

“Go ahead,” Remy said. “I’ll put the blouses away in a box and then I’ll join you.”

Emile clearly didn’t approve, but he sighed and mumbled an agreement, closing the bedroom door and getting undressed.

Remy put the blouses in a box and sighed, undressing and crawling into bed next to Emile. He wasn’t sure if he could ever be anything except a vaguely male parental figure for Roman, and that thought made his stomach sour. He had learned a lot about himself over the years, and he knew that whatever box he fit in, “male” certainly wasn’t it. He just hoped that if he ever found that box, Roman would be kind. Emile could accept him, and hopefully some of that acceptance was in his DNA so Roman had it too. He really wanted to be himself...provided he could discover whoever that was.

**Author's Note:**

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